'Extraordinary' Viking items declared as treasure

An "extraordinary" collection of 1,100-year-old Viking Age artifacts found by metal detectorists on the Isle of Man has been declared as treasure.

The items, uncovered in February by Daniel Crowe and Rhett Britton, include an elaborately decorated sword, three bronze brooches, trading weights and scales, a bronze ladle and the head of an axe.

Dating back to AD 900, some of the pieces are thought to be from the earliest known female Viking Age burial on the island.

Allison Fox, curator of archaeology for Manx National Heritage, said it was "one of the most significant groups of Viking Age objects found on the Isle of Man".

She added: "What makes it particularly exciting is the combination of finds, which gives us a rare opportunity to explore the lives of some of the island's earliest Scandinavian settlers.

"Although the original burial site has been disturbed, further research may reveal much more about these objects and the people who owned them."

The items, thought to have been disturbed over many years of the land being worked, were found scattered over an area of up to 328ft (100m).

They are thought to be the grave goods of a man and a woman, who were either buried side-by-side in the same grave or in two separate ones near to each other.

One of the three brooches, originally gilded with spiral decorations and a glass centre, is the first of its kind to be found on the island.

It was uncovered alongside a pair of women's bronze brooches - only the second of their kind to be found on the Isle of Man.

The first pair was found by Daniel Crowe's father, John Crowe, along with Craig Evans in 2018 before going on display after conservation in 2021.

The sword, which had been deliberately broken in line with Viking burial practices, is one of only three found with similar silver decoration.

Other items found include fragments of a cauldron and ladle, and intricately decorated trading weights and scales.

Fox said: "The brooches are especially important because they appear to represent our earliest known female Viking Age burial.

"Together with the decorated sword, trading equipment and other objects, they help us build a picture of the people who lived here more than 1,000 years ago, how they traded and the connections they maintained across the Viking world."

The items were declared treasure at a hearing at Douglas Courthouse.

Coroner James Brooks said the artwork on some of the items would be of "exceptional quality today, let alone when they were made".

Some of the artifacts are set to go on display at the Manx Museum from Wednesday.

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